Selvedge

Although I've been downsizing on the magazine front for the last year, there are still a few favourites that I refuse to relinquish my subscriptions to. And Selvedge is definitely one of those magazines. Especially since it just seems to get better and better with each issue.
The latest one made my heart jump as soon as I saw the cover , and continued to do so as I turned each page. And don't you love that? The way you can see something and it just makes your heart race? I'm serious when I say that fabric totally does that to me and so does a great book or magazine.

The cover shot is of course the Kissing Gate screenprint by the amazing Rob Ryan  which unfortunately isn't available here  but some of his other wonderful prints are. I can not tell you how tempted I am by his shop! And I think this may actually be my favourite Selvedge cover ever.
Inside the issue there's an article on wallpaper  - something that interests me almost (but not quite) as much as fabric.

And then there's these...

Aren't they amazing?  How much does it make you want to go and decorate a doll house right now? Just look at those tiny little rooms?

I don't think you can tell from the photo's but all the furniture is made from cardboard!

I seriously could get in to making miniature rooms like these. Seriously.

And if that wasn't enough, there's a really good article about Julie Arkell's home and work.

How much would I  love to visit her house? I almost hyper-ventilated when I just saw her stand at a quilt show last year, lord knows what would happen if I actually saw her studio! She's most definitely one of those artists that makes me want to jack it all in because I'll never be good enough.

The article on childhood fashion and how it's finally (thank goodness) moving away from neon bright, label led fashions and reverting to much more traditional, vintage inspired styles is really interesting and beautifully laid out.

 

And if you're drawn immediately to the graphics in this article, then you'll love the fact that there's also an article about paper dolls and their origins.
The underlying theme of this issue is the childhood, with articles about dolls, including the history of the prairie doll, cloth books, childhood samplers and childrens authors ( an article about Lauren Child).
Which I'm sure is why it hits the mark so perfectly with me this month. And why I'm so glad that I didn't cancel that (expensive) subscription!
Oh and talking of selvedge and how much I love it...

There are some pincushions on their way to the shop and hopefully sooner rather than later. But of course that depends on a certain little girl and whether she's willing to nap!

Comments

[liz r.]

Oh, how pretty. I wish I could read the article on paper dolls. I can see you getting into decorating miniature rooms as soon as your wee ones are big enough to not crush the furniture!

[April]

Love your selvedge pin cushions. I'm going to have to start paying attention to the selvedges on my fabrics. Do you find yourself choosing one fabric over another depending on the selvedge now? The rooms are great too. Decorating a doll house might be just the way for me to satisfy all of the decorating styles I kind of like but not sure I could live with. It's going on my list. Thanks for another fun read. April

[Elizabeth Mackey]

I guess I have to go to the book store now!! I really like that magazine a lot and it is such nice quality. My husband, daughter and my self, have a very hardcore addiction to magazines. I think I commented on your blog once, about how I love the quality of the British magazines vs ours here in the States. The French magazines are also wonderful. Thanks for sharing,now I have to get to the store........byeee

[Carrie]

I know exactly what you mean about your heart racing with excitement when you see images that you fall in love with.
I made a dollhouse out of cardboard(not a box-I pieced it together)and the furniture out of construction paper when I was twelve.Oh to still have that!

[Vicki]

Hi Manda, I agree about Selvedge. It's an expensive magazine here...20USD,,,but well worth it. Will you let us know ahead of time about the selvedge pin cushions? I think my sewing room needs one.

[SierraMoon]

it looks tempting !!! it's not the first time i hear about it, I have to get it next time I'm in UK !

do you know there's a special Marie-Claire Idées baby issue this Spring ?

http://mci.blogs.marieclaireidees.com/archive/2008/03/17/le-hors-serie-2008.html

it's rather good I must say... which was not the case lately for the regular issues...

and because they made a mistake and the (easy) baby clothes patterns were not to scale in the magazine, they offer them (right scale) for free downloads here, all you need is to enlarge them :

http://mci.blogs.marieclaireidees.com/archive/2008/04/12/les-patrons-du-hors-serie-bebe.html

I thought you or some of your readers might be interested...

[pipany]

Hi Manda. I love Selvedge too and am lucky as my daughter is studying textiles and gets it regularly. Great to think there is a revival of old-fashioned (not a good term!) kids' clothes too; I have been making my little Isabella dresses from gorgeous old fabrics that were given to me (can be seen on my blog) in the same styles that I mad for my eldest daughter 18 years ago! They seem to be very popular with the mums at the school so I think there is definitely a move back to these styles xx

[Cheryl]

I would subscribe to dozens of magazines if I could afford it. I wonder if that one is available in the US. I've never seen it, and it looks like something I need!

[Joan]

I've senn the magazine in Barnes & Noble here in the US.
I can't wait to see the pincushions. I'll send a lullaby to Lily...
Joan

[Anina]

What a wonderful magazine! I'll have to see if I can get my hands on a copy.
I've been collecting selvedges for a while now although I don't know what, if anything, I'll do with them. Your pincushions are great!

[Sarah]

Thanks for sharing the info on Selvedge, I don't subscribe myself but might order this one as it looks so good. I saw Julie Arkell too at the Knitting and Stitching show last year, she's awesome isn't she. I have the same feeling when I see her work!

[Lorie M.]

I feel the same way about that magazine. I carry it around with me! I about dropped my cookies w/the Julie Arkell thing too. Nice way to recycle the selvedges..great post.

[hannah]

Selvedge mag is amazing this issue isn't it, I dont normally buy it, but when I saw it I had to, and I have enjoyed every minute reading it.

[Angelia]

The best magazine. I stopped most all my others mags. so I could afford (in USA) a subscription, since it is so hard to find. It is so great to get it and have the time to look slowly through. A

[Millie]

DO NOT start a dolls house unless you need another addiction in your life. I have just started to "renovate" my childhood dolls house and now need weekends to be twice as long and twice as much room for my "that might come in handy for something" pile. I now look at things differently, with a dolls house eye. Is that a perfume bottle lid? no way it's a light fitting for the master bedroom!! Don't say you haven't been warned.